With every great victory in Europe’s top cup comes a team with a dream. The dream of lifting the Champions League ‘big ears’ trophy. With every goal and defining moment of each campaign, there is one continuity: football shirts. Each one of these tells a story, woven into the fabric of every jersey. This is the second instalment of the series, where we at Osservando take a look at the best Champions League-winning shirts of all time.
Ajax 1994/95 – Umbro
Umbro never missed in the 90’s, and nor did ajax in 94/95. A squad forged from players crafted within their own academy such as Frank Rijkaard, Patrick Kluivert, the De Boer brothers and the man who would go on to be the only player to date to win the Champions League with three separate sides, Clarence Seedorf. Louis Van Gaal’s side took Europe by storm winning the Champions League in unprecedented fashion only losing one game across all competitions during the year.
This wasn’t the side of Cruyff and total football but it came close enough. Future household names proving their worth on the biggest stage. Ajax would actually face Milan in the group stage that year with both sides winning 2-0 away from home before the two eventually met in the final with the Dutch side dethroning the Rossoneri following their title win the year prior.
On their way to glory Ajax dismantled Hadjuk Split 3-0 in Amsterdam before giving Bayern Munich the same ruthless treatment on their visit to Amsterdam that ended in anything but a happy ending when Van Gaal’s men destroyed the Germans 5-2 at the Olympisch Stadion in the Dam.
When Ajax lifted the big ears once again in front of 50,000 in Viennas Ernst-Happel-Stadion they were some of the best dressed to ever do it. The beautiful Umbro design was worn by some of the games greatest and there was no better collaboration. The youthful side turned beauty into icon when they beat Milan. Umbro further stamping their name into the history of the game as arguably the best supplier to ever do it.
Manchester City 2022/23- Puma
Now then. As I write this I’m thinking of all the weird, strange and quite often bizarre shirts Puma have supplied Manchester City with since they took the contract from Nike in 2019, but this one they nailed. When the shirt dropped with a video featuring fan favourites like Mike Summerbee, Nigel De Jong, Noel Gallagher and even a mention of a favourite pre-match spot, Mary D’s bar, you could tell Puma had hid the spot.
A nod to the 60’s, done in the perfect way. City were one of the best then, and became THE best in Pumas iconic shirt. Colin Bell to Phil Foden. This shirt saw a new dawn for Manchester City when they announced the signing of Erling Haaland donning the perfectly crafted Puma shirt. The maroon trim, the centralised badge, the cicrular collar. This shirt was always destined for greatness
On their way to winning it all in Istanbul, City dispatched of some of the biggest sides in Europe brutally, tearing apart Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in ferocious Champions League nights at the Etihad. There was simply no better shirt to create such history in than this. Whether it was John Stones becoming the second coming of Franz Beckenbauer in the Champions League final or Derby Day delight when Phil Foden and Erling Haaland both struck hattricks on a sunny October Sunday in East Manchester, Guardiola’s side certainly knew how to give this shirt the performance it was worthy of.
City wore the shirt as they sealed all three major trophies including a spectacular win over rivals Manchester United at Wembley thanks to a pair of exquisite strikes from captain Ilkay Gundogan. This season would go down in history as the Cityzens became only the second ever English side to win the illustrious treble, and they did it in style.
Barcelona 2010/11- Nike
I feel like everyone remembers where they were when Barcelona beat Manchester United in 2011. Guardiola and his La Masia boys royally took the piss out of Europe for lack of a better phrase. Some of the most beautiful football we will probably ever see and not a bad shirt to be doing it in.
The heavily Catalunyan influence on the shirt made it all the better as a side of players hand crafted in the region staked their place in the history books as arguably the greatest side to ever play the beautiful game. The Blaugrana would see off Arsenal and Shaktar Donetsk in the earlier knockout rounds of the Champions League before facing off against the anti-christ in Jose Mourinho and his Real Madrid side led by no other than Cristiano Ronaldo. The most iconic tie in football. El Clasico. On the biggest stage. Barcelona put on a show, who else but Lionel Messi would step up with what can only be described as one of the greatest goals ever scored in UCL history. Picking the ball up 40 yards out and effortlessly skipping past the Real Madrid defence as if they were cones in training.
The final didn’t disappoint either. Messi and co would face off against another old enemy, this time in Sir Alex Ferguson and his all conquering Manchester United side. Another La Masia product, Pedro, would open the scoring for Barça at Wembley before La Pulga would step up once more to put the Catalans back into the lead. The game was rounded off in the 69th minute when cult hero David Villa would score to make it 3-1 and put a dagger into the hearts of United.
The shirt they would do it in would become synonymous with Messi, Xavi, Puyol, Iniesta and so many more of the games greats wearing it on their way to a league and European cup double. The heavy influence of the local region can be seen throughout the shirt with the yellow collar, yellow sleeve trim and even more subtle touches such as the yellow nike tick and yellow Champions League final detailing that they wore against United.
When people think of Messi and Barça, one image that instantly comes into the heads of many is Leo peeling away from goal after restoring the lead. Arms held out wide before clutching the badge of his beloved club. A true Nike piece de resistance and one that simply will not be forgotten.
Marseille 1992/93 – Adidas
Adidas oh Adidas. Where to start? In my opinion the undisputed heavyweight champions of footballing apparel and this template from 1992 has a special place in the heart of football kit addicts the world over.
There simply isn’t better than the 1992 Adidas template that was adorned by so many sides at club and international level but what better way to rubber stamp that into history than having the first French side to ever win the Champions League wear that very shirt.
Marseille would claim European glory over what is one of the greatest sides in European history beating Fabio Capello’s AC Milan which featured legends of the game such as Balon D’Or winners Marco Van Basten and Ruud Gullit. Marseille however weren’t without the greats themselves and wouldn’t bow down to anyone no matter the names. Bahrtez, Desailly, Deschamps and Voller just some of the standouts from the French history makers.
The season wasn’t without controversy however, Marseille would later be stripped of their Ligue 1 title denying them the double after it was revealed midfielder Jean-Jacques Eydelie had bried Vallenciennes players to lose on the final day of the Ligue 1 season so that Les Olympiens could seal the title without stretching themselves before facing Milan.
The Adidas template was donned by Ireland, Sweden, Liverpool and Bayern Munich but Marseille left the most iconic mark on it with their success in Europe.
Borussia Dortmund 1996/97 – Nike
The club of the kit nerd. Have they EVER missed? Like really? Perhaps the best though came in the 90’s and no better than the artist that is Drake Ramberg and his fleet of iconic Nike shirts. Arguably the greatest mind in football kit creation history produced yet another belter and Dortmund really took this and ran with it.
A team of relative unknowns in comparison to their revered opposition in the final in Munich knocked it out of the park. 3-1 against Juventus featuring Zidane, Vieri, Deschamps and co. And to do it in your fiercest rivals backyard? Makes it all the sweeter doesn’t it.
Dortmund would beat Mancester United on their way to Munich and went into the final as underdogs, but when you’re fitted out in a 90’s Nike masterpiece, you can do anything. That year is one of the greatest collections of shirts the world may see with BVB decked out in three variations of their iconic luminous yellow and black shirts.
The shirt worn in the final was a one off special shirt worn for the final that differed from that worn in the earlier rounds of the competition with a noticeable lack of the iconic stripes that many associate with Dortmund.
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